By: Joel Cruz

For a long time I wanted to get closer to the work of Cadaveria, whose career in the metal world exceeds 30 years. In a musical style where many people prefer to surrender or repeat their formula to gain acceptance from others, the singer, songwriter and producer told us about those personal experiences that have supported the turn of her new paths.

Resilience, spiritual discoveries and the reaffirmation of her role as a woman on the planet are part of her final year, when she still promises her fans great surprises and coincides with the release of her single “The Woman Who Fell the Earth”. Definitely, an artist and a band with the experience of the years, although absolutely focused on their present and future, perspectives that I always like to share with our readers.

I would like to start by thanking you and the entire team that makes the art of Cadaveria possible for giving us this space for Hummingbird Press Magazine.

1. There are three albums with Opera IX that, I think as a fan, have aged very well (The Call of the Wood, Sacro Culto and The Black Opera ...). This interview seeks to focus on your present, but it is undeniable, that after 30 years of those beginnings, your voice has marked something unique in metal. How do you see your maturity in the 21st century and your personal growth in this regard?

Cadaveria: Lately I think more about the present than about the past. If I have to think about my career I can say that I have changed a lot in these 30 years, I grew up, I gained a lot of experience. My passion is always real and pulsating, but I take more time for myself while until a few years ago I was more severe and rigid.

2. Then came The Shadows’ Madame, a rebirth. I know that Cadaveria’s music is honest, it is not a pop product and it has stood out in the underground. How have you seen that process of working hard, making better compositions over time and always showing something innovative for two decades?

Cadaveria: For me it is natural to always aim to improve myself. I’m not afraid of new things and I like to contaminate my music and my life with new experiences. They make me grow and give birth to new ideas to be transformed into art. Recently the universe has brought me great changes, sometimes very difficult to cope with, such as illness. Yet it is also here that a new art is being born and I have also renewed my look.

3. Marçelo Santos has complemented your artistic career for a long time, both in music and visuals. His history in extreme metal is long, also mentioning his participation in the legendary Necrodeath band. I can’t forget Peter Dayton either, member of both bands. Let’s talk about how working as a trio has been in the making of the last singles, in general.

Cadaveria: Yes, my collaboration with Marçelo continues, it is a very strong bond that works perfectly. We understand each other very well. For these new songs I worked closely with Marçelo. The guitar riffs were born from melodies that I had recorded on my mobile or from ideas brought by Kris Laurent, guitarist who was part of the band until 2017 and who now works with us as an external member. Peter joined the group in 2015. He has a marginal role in the composition phase but he is a very important member of the group, a friend and a great live performer. Marçelo and I took care of the composition, pre-production and recordings, also thanks to the help of Pier Gonella. Marçelo’s video production company made all the videos too.

4. I think, this 2020-2021 stage is the most challenging in all your way. It has lyrics, music and image quite connected. Deeply linked with personal issues, but also with new findings. These go further than many people expected from Cadaveria, different from what you have done before. Let’s talk about “Return”, “Matryoshcada”, “Matryoshcada Native Ceremony”, “Divination” and “Shamanic Path”.

Cadaveria: Ah it would take a book to talk about them all in detail. Basically I can tell you that “Return” is a cover of Deine Lakaien we heard when we played with them at a festival in Germany in 2015. “Matryoshcada” is the story of my suffering and transformation through breast cancer experience.  “Matryoshcada Native” Ceremony is another version of the same song with more clean vocal parts and it is the way how the song was born in the beginning, since the growl parts came in the recording studios.

“Divination” and “Shamanic Path” are connected with my travel to Brazil. “Divination” is a direct, powerful, black and magical track, inspired by the ritual of reading the Buzios, typical of the afro-brazilian cult of Candomblé, through which you can know your orisha, your past, present and future. “Shamanic Path” is based on my true story and experiences with indigenous tribes and their shamanic practices.

It’s hard to describe the music, so I invite you all to stream them on digital platforms and to watch the music videos on CadaveriaOfficial youtube channel youtube.com/cadaveriaofficial.

5. For someone who knows the ability of your voice and has a good ear, it’s natural to be related to various musical styles. What artists have been part of your inspiration in this new evolutionary era?

Cadaveria: None in particular. In the last three years I didn’t listen to music. Everything is coming from inside. I don’t need to find inspiration outside.

6. You come from a country with an important tradition in metal: Death SS, Stormlord, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Theatres Des Vampires; Lacuna Coil, Aevum, Elegy of Madness, Deahtless Legacy and many other names that witness it. You helped open the way, when some others did not dare. What is your point of view about the musical genre in Italy today?

Cadaveria: I believe that finally, even if very late, Italy is making itself known abroad as part of good heavy metal bands and is generating valid and interesting musical projects.

7. Will we have the chance to see a show of Cadaveria in social media, while it’s possible to do it in live presentation?

Cadaveria: Not this year. At the moment we are very focused on the production of the singles and we are completing another video clip. We would like to produce an EP with these singles or an album, maybe next year. In 2022 our first album will turn 20 and that could be the right opportunity to return to playing live, live or in streaming. We’ll see.

Thank you very much for your time and disposition. Please, give us a greeting to all your fans in South America, Mexico and all the planet that read us.

Cadaveria: Thanks for having me here. A big hug to all old and new fans who live in Central and South America and greetings to CADAVERIA fans who follow us from the other parts of the world. I invite everyone to support us by listening to our music and sharing it on social networks to spread the word. Enjoy and stay metal! For more info please visit cadaveria.com and linktr.ee/cadaveria.

Thank you very much!

All images taken from cadaveria.com and videos from Cadaveria’s YouTube channel. Credits to its authors.